Inking mechanism



Nov. 7, 1933. c. A. WULF 1,934,157

INKING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 20, 1930 26 INVENTOR.

j, mmm Wr/65H.

A TTORNE YS hug l5 f i0 W ff@ n q/ l 355,5 if a' ff 14./ L45 PatentedNov. 7, 1933 UNITED STATESA PATENT orties INKING MECHANISM i i CharlesA. Wulf, Indianapolis, Ind. Application October 20, 1930. Serial No.489,881

15 Claims. (C1. 101-169) The present application relates to inkingmechanism, and more particularly to mechanism used in connection withtransferring a design, such as the grain of a piece of wood to a pieceof metal or other material. Such mechanism consists primarily of animpression plate, means for spreading ink on said plate, and means, suchas a roll of material of high elasticity and low resistance fortransferring the ink from the impression plate to the article to bedecorated. The primary objects of the present invention are to improvethe means for spreading the ink on the impression plate, to providenovel means whereby a uniform deposition of ink on the plate may beattained, and to modify the usual construction of this type so as toconserve ink. Further objects of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention maybe embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawing,attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawing isillustrative only, and that change may be made in the specicconstruction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of theappended claims is not violated.

In said drawing Fig. 1 is a plan viewy of inking mechanism constructedin accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View of a detail on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary views of details, parts thereof beingbroken away.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, it will be seen that I haveprovided a bed indicated generally at 10 and comprising a base orbacking board l11 supported by angle irons 12, one flange of each ofsaid angle irons projecting upwardly above the board 11 and the otherilange of each of said angle irons facing inwardly. As is illustratedparticularly in Fig. 3, the bed is adapted to be mounted on an incline,the inclination being somewhat exaggerated inFig. 3.

The parallel upstanding flanges 13 and 14 of the angle irons 12 form theside boundaries of the bed, and a cross piece 15 forms the boundarythereof at the upper end of said bed. An impression plate which, in thepresent instance, takes the form of a slab 16 of wood, and which may bea solid piece or may be built up, is mounted upon the base board 11 andis spaced from the flanges 13 and 14 to form troughs 17. Similarly, theimpression plate 16 is spaced from the cross piece 15 to form a trough118 communicating with the troughs 17. At its lower end, the impressionplate 16 terminates some distancefrom the lower end of the backing board11,"and said end of the impression plate is bevelled, as at 19; Thelowerk 50 end of the backing board Y11 is inclined upwardly away fromthe bevelled end 19 of the impression plate 16 4to form a surface 20which, with the' flanges 13 and 14 and the end19of the impres-y sionplate, forms a well 21. As is obvious,the 65 troughs 17 communicatewiththe well 21;

A carriage indicated generally at v22 comprises an axle 23 carryinggrooved or flanged wheels 25; an axle 24 carrying similar wheels 26; andlinks 27 and 28 connecting the corresponding ends 70 of said axles. Thewheels 25 and 26 are mounted to move upon the anges 13 and 14, wherebythe carriage is supported to move longitudinally of the'impressionplate, and is maintained at a uniform distance above said platethroughout 75 the length of said plate.

The links 27 and 28 are providedat aligned points intermediatetheir endswith inwardly facing sockets 29 adapted to receive the reducedrtrunnions 30 formed on the ends of `a bar 31, 80

whereby said bar is oscillably mounted on said carriage 22. Supported onthe bar 31 is a'double edged blade 32. A backing memberv 33 issuperimposed on said blade and a clamping bar 34 is mounted upon theupper surface of said back- 85 ing member. The bar 31 is provided with apair of spaced tapped bores 35 adapted to receive machine screws 35.Spacer collars 37 are sleeved on said screws, and the screws are turneddown, thereby clamping the blade32 and the backing 90 member 33 betweenthe bars 31 and 34.

The screws 3'6 likewise secure to said bars a handle member 38, and astop element indicated generally. at 39 is vadjustably `secured to saidhandle bar 38.

The stop element 39 comprises a metal strip 40 having a projection 41, asecond strip 42, and a pair of bolts 43, said bolts passing throughapertures in the members 40 'and 42 and clamping said members 40 and 42tothe handle bar 38. As 100 will be obvious, the stop element 39 isrotatably 'adjustable about the axis of the handle bar 38,

and may be secured in any adjusted position.

lThe projecting nger 41 is, as most clearly shown summarized as follows.The carriage 22 normally stands at the left end of Fig. 2 with the blade33 resting against the inclined surface 20. The well 21 is nlled withink and, when it is desired to ink the surface of the impression plate16, the blade 32 is oscillated in a counter-clockwise direction to theposition of Fig. 2. The carriage is then moved toward the right of Fig.2 and, as the blade 32 passes through the well 21, it picks up aquantity of ink, carries such ink up across the bevelled end 19 of theimpression plate 16 and, as the carriage moves on toward the right endof Fig. 2, spreads the ink over the surface of the plate. It should bementioned that `the blade 32 is somewhat Ilexible, as is indicated inFig. 5, so that the ink is carried smoothly and evenly over the surfaceof the plate. Any excess inl: which tends to iiow to the ends of theblade is caught by the troughs 17 and, due to the inclination of thebed, flows down said troughs into the Well 21. At his option, 'theoperator may or may not carryl the blade far enough to sweep excess ilnkinto the trough `18 whence itlcan flow through the troughs 17 to thewell 21tk e Prior to my invention, a major diiiiculty encountered inoperations with impression plates ofthis character' lay in'the fact thatthere was no means provided for regulating the pressure appliedto thescraper in the nishing operation, as a result of .which fact an excessof ink might remain on the plateto cause a blurry transfer, or too `muchink might be removed from the plate to cause an incomplete or a Veryfaint transfer. Of course, it is to be understood, that perfect practicerequires the removal of all inl: from the protruding portions oftheplate and the retention of an optimum quantity of ink in the graincrevices.

Ink having` been spread over the plate 16 by the above describedoperation, the operator oscillates theblade 32 in a clockwise directionto bring it into the position of Fig. 5. To cause the blade to assumethis position, the operator must press dcwnwardlyupon the bar 38 untilthe nger 41 comesinto contact with the axle 23,- thus flexing the blade32. He then moves the vcarriage 22 backwardly ktoward the left end ofFig. 2, sweeping inl; off of the upstamding portions of the plate 16 andleaving just enough in the grain crevices thereof. Itwill be obviousthat the stop element 39 may be adjusted to provide exactly the requiredpressure of the blade on the plate, and that this stop element forcesthe operator to apply exactly the same pressure to the plate duringeachsweeping operation.

ink-reoeiving'well at one end of said bed, said troughs inclining towardsaid well and communieating therewith, a carriage mounted for movementon said side members, and a scraper supported on said carriage andadapted to engage said plate and to be moved thereacross with saidcarriage.

2. Inking mechanism comprising a vbed provided with upstanding parallelside members, an imp ession plate mounted on said bed and spaced fromsaid side members to provide troughs, an ink-receiving well at one endoi said bed, said troughs inclining toward said well and communicatingtherewith, a carriage, flanged wheels for said carriage operativelymounted on said upstanding side members, and a scraper mounted on saidcarriage, said scraper being adapted to enter said well and to move,with said carriage, over said plate in contact therewith to carry inkfrom said well and to distribute the ink over the surface of said plate.

, `3. The combination with a bed provided with upstanding parallel sidemembers, an impression plate mounted on said bed and spaced from saidside members to form troughs, and an inkreceiving well at one end ofsaid bed, said troughs inclining toward said well and communicatingtherewith, of a carriage mounted for movement on said side members,means oscillably mounted on said carriage and extending transversely ofsaid plate, andy a flexible blade carried by said means and adapted tobe moved-by oscillation of said means, into and out of scraping relationwith said piste. f e l 4. The combination with a bed provided withupstanding parallel side members, an impression plate mounted on saidbed and spaced from said side members to form troughs, and aninkreceiving well at one end of said bed, said troughs inclining towardsaid well and communicating therewith, of means for spreading ink fromsaid well over said plate, said means comprising a carriage mountedior'movement on said side members, and a flexible blade mounted on saidcarriage and extending across the width of said plate, said blade beingoscillably mounted on said carriage whereby the edge thereof may bemoved to enter said well and to drag on said plate as said carriage ismoved.

5; The combination with a bed provided with upstanding parallel sidemembers, an impression plate `mounted on said bedk and spaced from saidside members to form troughs, and an inkreceiving well at one end ofsaid bed, said troughs communicating with -said well, of means forspreading inl; from said well over said plate, said means cornprisinfr acarriage mounted for movement on said side members, a bar oscillablymounted on said carriage and extendingtransversely of said plate, adouble-edged scraper blade mounted on said bar, the edges of said bladeprojecting beyond the lateral edges of said bar, a secondy barsuperimposed on said blade, and lmeans engaging said bars to clamp saidblade therebetween.

6. The combination with a bed provided with upstanding parallel sidemembers, an impression plate mounted on said bed and spaced from saidside Ymembers to form troughs, and an inkreoeiving well at one end ofsaid bed, said troughs communicating with said well, o'f means forspreading inl; from saidwell over said plate, said means comprising acarriage mounted for movement on said lside members, a bar escillablymounted on said versely of said plate, a scraper blade mounted on saidbar, a second bar superimposed on said blade, means engaging said barsto clamp said blade therebetween, said means securing to said `bars ahandle element, and a stop member mounted on said handle element tolimit oscillation of said bars in' one direction.

7. The combination with a bed provided with upstanding parallel sidemembers, an impression plate mounted on said bed and spaced from saidcarriage and extending trans- 8. The combination with a bed providedwith upstanding parallel side members, an impression plate mounted onsaid bed and spaced from said side members to form troughs, and aninkreceiving well at one end of said bed, said troughs communicatingwith said well, of means for spreading ink from said well over saidplate, said means comprising a carriage mounted for movement on saidside members, a bar oscillably mounted on said carriage and extendingtransversely of said plate, a double-edged scraper blade mounted on saidbar and extending laterally beyond both sides of said bar, a second barsuperimposed on said blade, means engaging said bars to clamp said bladetherebetween, said means securing to said bars a handle element, and astop member mounted on said handle element to limit oscillation of saidbars in one direction.

9. In a device of the class described, a bed inclined from one end tothe other, upstanding side members on said bed. an upstanding end memberat the upper end of said bed, an impression plate mounted on said bedand spaced from said side members and from-said end member to formcommunicating troughs and spaced also from the lower end of said bed,means at the lower end of said bed providing a surface sloping upwardlyaway from the adjacent end of said impression plate to form anink-receiving well with which said troughs communicate, and meansmounted on said side members for scraping ink from said well over thesurface of said impression plate.

10. In a device of the class described. a bed inclined from one end tothe other, upstanding side members on said bed. an upstanding end memberat the upper end of said bed, an impression plate mounted on said bedand spaced from said side members and from said end member to formcommunicating troughs and spaced also from the lower end of said bed,means at the lower end of said bed providing a surface sloping upwardlyaway from the adjacentr end of said impression plate to form anink-receiving well with which said troughs communicate, a carriagemovably mounted on said side members, and a scraper blade carried onsaid carriage and oscillable about an axis transverse to the directionof movement of said carriage, said blade being adapted to spread inkfrom said well over said plate.

1l. In a device of the class described, a bed inclined from one end tothe other, upstanding side members on said bed. an upstanding end memberat the upper end of said bed, an impression plate mounted on said bedand spaced from said side members and from said end member to formcommunicating troughs and spaced also from the lower end of said bed,means at the lower end of said bed providing a surface sloping upwardlyaway from the adjacent end of said impression plate to form anink-receiving well with which said troughs communicate, a carriagemovably mounted on said side members, and a doubleedged scraper bladeoscillably mounted on said carriage on an' axis transverse to thedirection of movement of said carriage, said blade being movabletorbring itsone edge into contact with said plate whilesaid carriagemoves in one direction to spread 'inl: fromsaid Well over'said plate,and movable to bring'itsV opposite edge into contact with said platewhile' said carriage moves inthe oppositev direction to removeexcessinkfrom said plate. l

.12. In a device ofthe class described, a lbed inclined from one end tothe other; upstanding side members on said bed, an upstanding end memberat the upper end of said bed, an impression plate mounted on said bedand spaced from said side members and from said end member to formcommunicating troughs and spaced also from the lower end of said bed,means at the lower end of said bed providing a surface sloping upwardlyaway from the adjacent end or said impression plate to form anink-receiving well with which said troughs communicate, a carriagemovably mounted on said side members, a doubleedged scraper bladeoscillably mounted on said carriage on an axis transverse to thedirection of movementof said carriage, said blade being movable to bringits one edge into contact with said' plate while said carriage moves inone direction to spread ink from said well over said plate, and movableto bring its opposite edge into contact with said plate while saidcarriage moves in the opposite direction to remove excess ink from saidplate, and means for limiting the degree of pressure of said blade onsaid plate in said last-mentioned direction of movement.

13. In a device ofthe class described, a bed inclined from one end tothe other, upstanding side members on said bed, an upstanding end memberat the upper end of said bed, an impression plate mounted on said bedand spaced from said side members and from said end member toiorm'communicating troughs and spaced also from-the lower end of saidbed, means at the lower end of said bed providing a surface slopingupwardly away from the adjacent end of said impression plate to form anink-receiving well with which said troughs communicate, a carriagemovably mounted on said side members, a doubleedged scraper bladeoscillably mounted on said carriage on an axis transverse to thedirection of movement of said carriage, said blade being movable tobring its one edge into contact with said plate while said carriagemoves in one direction to spread ink from said well over said plate, andmovable to bring its opposite edge into Contact with said plate whilesaid carriage moves in the opposite direction to remove excess ink fromsaid plate, and meansy movable-with said blade and adjustable withrespect thereto and engageable with an element of said carriage forlimiting the degree of pressure of said blade on said plate in saidlast-mentioneddirection of movement.

14. In a device of the class described, an impression plate, adapted toreceive a coating of ink, and means for scraping excess ink from saidplate, said means comprising a carriage, lmeans rigid with said platefor guiding said carriage, a blade mounted on said carriage and movablewith respect thereto to engage said plate, and means movable with saidblade and adjustable with respect to said blade for limiting the degreeof movement of said blade in a direction to engage said plate.

l5. In a device of the class described, an impression plate, adapted toreceive a coating of ink,

said bar and optionally adjustable about the axis of said bar, a tonguecarried by and movable with said clamp, and a stop element rigid on saidcarrier, said tongue being engageable with said stop elementto limitoscillation of said carrier in one direction. f

- CHARLES A. WULF.

